The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-06-09
A DENTAL COLLEGE.
HALF PLEDGED DENTISTS PRAcTlc-
ING ON THEIR PATIENTS.

ING ON THEIR PATIENTS. i
Scenes in the Operating Eoom--In the
Operating Chair-8tanufactureo of Plates |
and Teeth - The Museum - Students
from Everywhere. t
The exterior of the building is SO harm
less and inoffensive in appearance that few
persons would suspect that behind those
walls are concealed something like $50
human beings, the majority of them young
men, engaged in mastering the TECHNICAL
ties connected with the preservation and
extraction of molars, blcuspids, incisors,
CANNES and all the other things in the
mouth TO which the scientists hive given
such terrible names, and which, ON occas-
sion, ache so like the late Samuel Hill. Is
it not dreadful thought? Two hundred
and fifty men about to be turned loose
upon the inhabitants Of this city, to estab-
ish $50 dental rooms, to smile blandly
upon 250 patients who come tinlidly in,
holding on to their jaws; to pop them into
$50 chairs and say "Open your mouth--a
little wider, please" then silence for q
moment; then $50 shrieks to rcnd the air,
followed presently by an equal number OF
long drawn "ahsr' expressive CT immeas-
urable relief. 1t almost takes away ones
breath to think of it.
Observing several persons entering with
that uncertain gait and troubled express
sion of countcnance which mark the dem
lists prey, reporter, backed up by an
intrepid artist, ventured into this place the
other day to see whGt was TO be seen.
Armed with an accident policy for Orc
day, and with note books and pencils care
fully concealed, they assembled flight Of
s 'tairs and entered long, narrow room
co 1taining ebout dozen chairs OF q kind
but too familiar to need description. They
were occupied Dy twelve unfortunates,
mosthr females, in various stages Of I'M
IS. There wasn't cheerfulncss
enough diffused over all their cornte-
nances prr, together to make up one single
sickly defea,- ed candidate the day-after-
election sniff. But there was enough
On the faces OF the operators,
as well as on tho. 9 of the other students
who were visible, t. rather more than over
balance the gloom II 1T otherwise .charac-
terized the proceedings.
By rare good fortune the artist recog-
nized friend in g six foo student, who
was watching young man run O buzz
saw between the teeth Of nea fly dressed
and rather attractive young lady. lie
consented to act the part of cicero.1e, and
under his guidance and protection the
twain made the tour Of the premises, Ge-
ginning with the extracting room. That
is, they began with It after o while, but
not quite Immediately, for on trying the
door it proved to be locked, and various
hollow groans and mufied cries from be-
yOnd conveyed but too plainly to the
listeners the fact that some student was
adding to his information 20 10 the ratio
between his dexter arm and some decayed
premaxiilary grinder. When the student
had concluded his operations the door was
opened. About o dozen students were
gathered around the operating chair, and
q young woman in a state Of collapse was
departing. The students seemed to be
having little discussion as to whose turn
it was to have the next ''crack," and
waved various dreadful looking instru-
ments of torture about them in an alarm
ingly careless manner
Leaving this ensaDguiIed Geld, the ex-
ploring party yentured next into the third
story. Here was another large room,
with more chairs and more unfortunGtes.
were working away for dear life. The
professors look at the patients teeth be-
fore the student begins TO operate and
after he has completed his work. If it is
satisfactory, he receives mark in accord
ance with the excellence Of his work. If
it is not good, he has to take it out and Go
it over again. This, the reporter was in
formed, did not very often happen, but |
when it did it Yves apt to cngcnder i'll feel
ing between the operator and operatce. |
Adjoining this was u largo room devoted |
to the manufacture of plates and sets of
teeth. In one corner of the room was |
furnace about as hot as q crematory in |
full blast. The student led the unhappy
visitors directly to this and planted them |
within six inches of it while lie gave them
all the details lie could think of concern
ing the institution.
The professor aftcrward took the visit |
ors in charge and showed them the Tnu- !
scum, containing among other things |
casts of the heads Of persons upon whom |
remarkable dental and surgical opera
tons had Gcon performed by the faculty |
of this institute. There was the case, for |
of a young man whom they |
called Tommy" who, through some |
affection, had lost his entire |
nose and all his teeth. rs shown by the |
cast, he must have been q hidcous object |
to gaze upon. The middle finger of his |
left 8rm was bound down upon his face, |
the skin opened and left there until it |
should unite. When union had taken |
place, the finger was cut off at the first |
joint, and the man had O very toleraLle
looking nose at the expense Of finger.
The professor was Intercepted as to
the nationality Of the students. He re-
piled that they came from ell parts Of the
world, and ranged in age from II to ca.
There was among them even one man
from Greece. He was middle aged,
quiet looking individual, and, the pro-
lessor said, was very conscientious and
careful in his work. The operating is
carried on daily from 0 to 12. Every |
afternoon there are lectures from $50 |
until 8 o'clock. The course takes two
years, and about three out of four, On en-
average, escape being ''pluclled' and sent |
back for another year. Each student
works three days filling teeth, two days
making plates and one day at extracting.
This, with the lectures and subsequent
copying of his notes and reading text
books, fills out his week very thoroughly.
The course embraces, besides instruction i
n dentistry, a complete course of anatomy
md the science of medicine. Except in
he single branch Of surgery, the course
embraces everything that is taught in the
College of Physicians and Surgeons. One
would naturally suppose that the insti-
ute would be patronizea almost exclu-
lively by the poorer classes, but this, the
professor stated, was not the case. Many
,ersons who were abundantly able to pay
he highest prices came here for the reason,
he presumed, that they were sure CT get
ing honest work.
All the students carry about with
hem little diagrams which look like a
mall stockade fort erected for protection
gainst the Indians. But il is intended
o represent all the teeth in the human
lead, first and second SETS Every patient
eceives one Of these pictures, with the
Doth or teeth to be operated ON marked
IN it by the professor, and the student
works with this as guide. He cannot
ouch tooth that is not marked on this
hart.-New York World.
Gnnf1oaa Gun /